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Power surges can be extremely dangerous due to the amount of damage they can cause. Many people mistakenly believe that the purpose of surge protector strips is to prevent damage in the event of something like a lightning strike, but this isn’t the case. Surge strips can only handle so many joules of electricity before they fail, and some surges are powerful enough that they’ll instantly destroy even the best ones.
The only way to be truly protected from power surges is by installing a whole-home surge protector, and this article covers everything you need to know about these devices and why installing one is such a worthwhile investment.
Common Causes of Power Surges
Power surges are categorized as internal or external based on where they originate. An external surge is when there’s a sudden increase in the current flowing through the local power grid, and this type of surge affects all homes in that area and can do significant damage to the appliances and electronics inside. External surges can happen during summer storms as a result of a lightning bolt striking a transformer or power pole.
If your house or any houses nearby were to get hit by a direct lightning strike, it would also create a major surge in the grid. External surges can also result from a transformer blowing or even just from grid fluctuations when there’s a sudden spike in or drop in power demand.
Internal power surges are confined to an electrical system in a single building and can occur from something like a wire or an appliance short-circuiting. In this type of situation, the surge is usually powerful enough that it trips the breaker on the circuit where the surge originated. In some cases, a major internal surge could even trip the main breaker and knock out the power to the entire house until the breaker is reset.
Most homes experience multiple smaller internal surges every day because of appliances with high-energy demands turning on and off. This includes refrigerators, freezers, clothes dryers, and air conditioners. While these surges usually only result in a fairly minor spike in power, they still do damage to sensitive electronics over time and can shorten their lifespan. That’s why experts recommend plugging sensitive electronics into a surge protector strip, which blocks excess current from reaching your devices during a power surge.”
The Impact Power Surges Can Have on Your Electrical System and Appliances
In addition to damaging appliances and sensitive electronics, external and internal surges can also do extensive damage to your electrical system, potentially destroying many of your outlets and light switches. Electrical wiring can only handle so many volts before it starts getting extremely hot to the point of melting, meaning you could also need to have some of your wiring replaced. The biggest concern is that the wiring can get so hot that it starts an electrical fire or causes building materials to catch on fire.
All these potential concerns are why installing a whole-home surge protector is well worth the cost. You typically won’t have to pay more than $500-$1,500 or so to purchase a quality surge protector and have an electrician install it, which is nothing compared to what you could have to pay to repair all of the damage a major power surge can do.
How Whole-Home Surge Protectors Work
A whole-home surge protector is installed at the main electrical panel right where the wiring in the panel connects to the bus bar, which is the component in the panel that distributes power to each circuit. The way the device works is by continually monitoring the voltage flowing through the panel, which allows it to detect and protect against both internal and external surges.
Although the voltage can fluctuate a bit, it is normally right around 120 volts. If the voltage is suddenly above a set level, the surge protector will activate almost instantly and divert some of the current away from the house through the grounding rod outside.
All types of surge protectors have what’s known as a clamping voltage, which is how many volts it takes for the surge protector to activate and start diverting or shunting some of the current away from the house. The standard clamping voltages are 330V, 400V and 500V.
It’s important to note that surge protectors don’t divert 100% of the current when they activate. Instead, they can only divert any current that’s in excess of their clamping voltage, which is why you’ll also see clamping voltage referred to as “let-through” voltage. A surge protector with a clamping voltage of 330V offers the best protection, but you want to make sure not to go any higher than 400V. If you have a surge protector with a clamping voltage of 500V and the current spikes to 1,000 volts, it will only divert 500 volts away from the house. That means 500 volts would still reach your system, which is more than enough to cause serious damage.
When trying to decide which device to install, it’s also important to choose one with as short of a reaction time as possible. Most whole-home surge protectors will react and begin clamping within nanoseconds, and some have a reaction time of under 1 nanosecond.
Not all whole-home surge protectors are compatible with every electrical panel, and the National Electrical Code outlines specific installation requirements. To ensure proper fit and compliance, consult a licensed electrician rather than purchasing a device online and hoping it will work.
Can a Whole-Home Surge Protector Prevent Damage From a Lightning Strike?
Whole-home surge protectors have a surge current rating, which is the maximum number of amps they can withstand before failing. The majority of devices are rated for at least 50,000 amps (50kA), but some are only rated to handle 10,000 or 20,000 amps. Top-of-the-line devices are often rated to handle 150,000 or even 200,000 amps (150 to 200kA).
A device with a rating this high will provide much greater protection, but it will also usually cost you more. The minimum required by the National Electrical Code is 10kA, as this is typically the maximum amperage that can flow through the grid before transformers blow. That means a device with this rating will protect against most external surges, but it won’t provide any protection if lightning strikes your house.
While some extremely powerful lightning bolts can be around 200,000 amps, most are only around 30,000 amps. That means most surge protectors will still work as they should if lightning hits your house. Nonetheless, it’s still a good idea to choose a model that has a high surge current rating, as it will provide greater protection. The higher the surge current rating is, the less chance there is of it failing in the event of a lightning strike.
Generally speaking, we always recommend having a minimum of 50kA protection just to make sure that the device is more than capable of withstanding a typical lightning strike.
Contact the Pros
Service Professor offers award-winning electrical services in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Grand Ledge, and the surrounding areas in West and Southwest Michigan, including repairing and installing breaker boxes, replacing wall outlets, and whole-home rewiring. No job is too complicated for us. We also specialize in surge protection and will make sure that you get a device that provides the protection you need. To schedule an appointment to have a surge protector installed at your home, contact us today.
